what do you consider "cheap" meals

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soccerella
soccerella Posts: 623 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Yesterday or sometime earlier this week there was a post about cheap healthy recipes. Someone responded listing ingredients which added up to $45 and stated that they got three meals from this....which comes out to $15 a meal. Just wondering if that falls into most peoples range of cheap?

The reason I ask is for me it doesn't. A cheap meal is a couple bucks. And if you are looking at trying to eat healthy and it costs you $15 a meal, then its almost no surprise that people give up and go to McDonalds where they can order burgers for $1. I know it doesn't necessarily have to be more expensive to eat healthy, but sometimes it seems that way.

I know I have problems finding stuff for cheap, as I am a picky eater and don't like alot of the things I should (beans, greek yogurt/any yogurt, avocado, tomato are just a couple I can think of).... but yea for me a cheap healthy meal would be somewhere more in the $5 range

Replies

  • leomom72
    leomom72 Posts: 1,797 Member
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    i agree with you, but maybe they make 200K a year, and $15 IS cheap to them..who knows..i guess everyone has their own definition of things
  • amysj303
    amysj303 Posts: 5,086 Member
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    I think $3 per serving is reasonable, but not "cheap". I have seen people trying to eat for $25 per week, all meals, I think that is cheap.
  • EricNCSU
    EricNCSU Posts: 699 Member
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    Not even close. Cheap is something like red beans and rice which may be a couple dollars (or less) per serving.

    I'd be curious what they made with those ingredients since vegetables, some fruits and some meats are cheap. Most grains (rice etc) are cheap as well.

    I think I spent about 7$ total the last time i made red beans and rice and I ate on it 3 times and the most expensive part was the smoked sausage, which is optional.
  • Aimelish70
    Aimelish70 Posts: 48 Member
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    You can eat healthy for cheap it just has to be planned out carefully (I know I know, I am terrible at that), purchasing items in bulk and while they are sale, cooking batches and freezing them are helpful ideas...not to mention the "go to" Lean Cuisine type meals can always be stocked up on for a few bucks each and are low in calories.
  • Tujitsu56
    Tujitsu56 Posts: 392 Member
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    I agree in that a cheap meal should cost under $3.00.
  • aNEWmarcus
    aNEWmarcus Posts: 48
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    Simple cheap meals include things like Chilli Con Carne or Spaghetti Bolognese or Stews - things you might buy in bulk, but cook up and eat over a period of time.. Even some of the premade meals are cheap, but be wary of the salt and sugar contents in some of these..

    I did a quick google search and found these links that may help as well;

    http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/recipes/favourites/cheap-eat/
    http://www.greatlittleideas.com/theme/119/budget+recipes
    http://www.netmums.com/family-food/guide-to-cooking-on-a-budget/cooking-on-a-budget

    There's plenty out there that doesn't have to cost a fortune...
  • kristelpoole
    kristelpoole Posts: 440 Member
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    $15/meal? Ha, no, not cheap for an at-home dish, unless I'm making something super fancy that I'd never be able to afford at a restaurant....

    ETA: To eat clean and well on a budget, I try to skip the frozen meals. I think they taste like salted cardboard anyway. I make a lot of soups out of leftover veggies and if I have extras, I freeze them. I try to use every part of the vegetable, so I save greens from beets, carrots, etc when I buy them at the farmer's market - instant soup or salad additions. I try to make my lunch as much as possible, either from leftovers from the previous evening's dinners or a salad I throw together in the morning. I have a "high" grocery budget to some people, but to me it's an investment. Plus, I write a food blog so I am always buying lots of things I don't actually need. If I wanted to, I could feed us for half of what I spend and still eat healthy, local, organic, tasty food.

    My favorite recipe that came from leftovers is here: http://stirringthingsupblog.com/2011/11/18/lemongrass-pea-and-napa-slaw/
  • Alacey88
    Alacey88 Posts: 487 Member
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    You can buy a lot of items that are in bulk for cheap.... you can have as many as two weeks worth of rice (sides) for 10 bucks....
  • Alacey88
    Alacey88 Posts: 487 Member
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    You can eat healthy for cheap it just has to be planned out carefully (I know I know, I am terrible at that), purchasing items in bulk and while they are sale, cooking batches and freezing them are helpful ideas...not to mention the "go to" Lean Cuisine type meals can always be stocked up on for a few bucks each and are low in calories.

    Remember that the frozen meals are high in sodium tho... They are cheap but high in sodium....
  • Jadesfattorment
    Jadesfattorment Posts: 112
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    For me cheap at a resteraunt is about $8 and under. Cheap when shopping for food is about $5-$10 a meal. :)
  • bethwindel
    bethwindel Posts: 5
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    Making homemade things in large batches helps...plus cutting down on meat. I honestly think is is cheaper to eat healthy than not since a lot of the prepared foods are pretty expensive per serving. Menu planning helps a lot so you can combine ingredients you will have on hand. I'd say anything in the $5-8/meal is reasonable...less than that per serving would be cheap.
  • hikingchick
    hikingchick Posts: 28
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    why not try Subway??? $5 foot longs with whatever toppings you like and you can always eat half now & half later. change it up with ranch rice cakes or low cal soup or a side salad :smile:
  • kristelpoole
    kristelpoole Posts: 440 Member
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    Making homemade things in large batches helps...plus cutting down on meat. I honestly think is is cheaper to eat healthy than not since a lot of the prepared foods are pretty expensive per serving. Menu planning helps a lot so you can combine ingredients you will have on hand. I'd say anything in the $5-8/meal is reasonable...less than that per serving would be cheap.

    Agreed x 1000....

    I don't eat meat and that helps us keep the budget down. We occasionally buy local fish.
  • stephabef
    stephabef Posts: 936 Member
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    I eat cheaply by eating smaller portion sizes and cooking in bulk. For instance, a pot of chili that cost me $5 to make (assuming I already had the spices on hand, we'll estimate $2 for 2 cans of beans and $1 for a can of tomatoes + fresh celery, peppers, and onions adding up to another $2 or so) will last me upwards of 6 or 7 meals, especially if I add a dollop of Greek yogurt (again, I buy the bigger packages, not the "single serving" sizes, to save money).
  • stephabef
    stephabef Posts: 936 Member
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    Also, stay away from the center aisles! Generally, I hit up the produce section, then grab some eggs and a few dairy items and I'm good to go! Packaged items tend to be much more expensive for what you're getting.
  • PaleoWhick
    PaleoWhick Posts: 7 Member
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    Definitely stick to the perimeter of the store. Best thing you can do for yourself. It's more expensive but it's worth it.

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